Upon Return
by Wordsorcereress
Summary: "What's happened?" No point in beating around the bush. "Where's Leon?" He added, noting the man's absence and immediately considering it strange. The silence that followed the nervous glances did nothing to quell Cloud's unease. "You'd better si'down." Cid remarked. (Collab with Out-of-Character217)


Something didn't feel right. Cloud felt it the moment he stepped foot in Radiant Garden and the ominous sense of disquiet only grew as he headed further into town. He couldn't place his finger on it; the unsettling sensation of a city on edge, its breath drawn in as if to prepare for something oncoming was pervasive. The people were too quiet. On edge and suspicious. Furtive glances thrown over shoulders as he passed, and the people were visibly armed; common houses looked reinforced. Shops that should have been open for business were closed at the midday, and the signs of recent wreckage not yet cleared away were scattered about the back allies and store fronts.

Something had happened while he'd been away, and the ripples of its damage had not yet grown large enough to dispel the unease of its passing.

When he walked past, people whispered. Cloud paid them no attention to begin with, but everyone seemed to be talking. Their words fell silent if they spotted him, and began again just as hushed when he passed. He caught a few words here and there, but nothing enlightening.

Cloud headed west, straight for the committee headquarters. He'd waste time trying to piece it together out on the streets. If there was work wanted doing, the Restoration Committee would already be doing it.

He found the house standing dignified and solitary, nestled amongst the ramshackle streets that had been built from the ghettos of a post war Hollow Bastion, it's comforting shadow a silent welcome home. The door was unlocked, and beyond it the faint murmur of voices told Cloud his instincts had been right.

Familiar faces looked up as he breezed inside, none of them expecting his casual return.

"Cloud, you're home!" Aerith was pleased to see him, but even the relief on her face was unusual. Cloud inclined his head in a subtle nod of greeting, studious eyes levelling each of his friends, catching abnormal signs of stress.

"What's happened?" No point in beating around the bush. "Where's Leon?" He added, noting the man's absence and immediately considering it strange. The silence that followed the nervous glances did nothing to quell his unease.

"You'd better si'down." Cid remarked, his gruff voice falling flat as he pushed himself off the wall and pulled out a chair from around the table. Cloud didn't take him up in his offer.

"What's going on?" He eyed each one of his friends in turn, none of them could hold it for longer than a few seconds. Even Yuffie was disturbingly quiet. No exuberant greeting, no personal space invading. It was putting Cloud on edge.

"Something's gone wrong with the town's defence system," Aerith began, though Cloud could tell she was checking her words; picking them carefully. "They've been attacked and shut down. The city has been left defenceless for days now."

So? That wasn't unusual. The defence system broke down regularly. It had been a pet project of Leon and Cid's to get it running smoothly for almost a year.

"But that's not all. It wasn't just attacked; it's like whoever destroyed it knew exactly where to hit it. The parts we need to fix it are expensive; it'll take weeks to order them in."

That explained the town's unease, Cloud noted. The wrecks, and even the whispers. He felt a vague dread at the possibility of swarms of Heartless or some other dark monster taking advantage of the town in this state.

"So what are you saying, we've got a spy in Radiant Garden?" Cloud asked, it didn't sound like the pressing emergency that was clearly written on their faces.

"Well, we didn't think so. But none of this happened until..." Aerith trailed off, and again Cloud was reminded that they still hadn't answered his original question.

"Where's Leon?" He asked again, his tone slipping just a fraction above threatening. Aerith's brows creased in worry, her clasped hands tightening around themselves as Tifa and Yuffie shuffled in their seats.

"... He's missing." Aerith finally confessed, her words cutting away the last thread of control that kept Cloud's guts in his stomach.

"For how long? When was he last seen? Where?" He asked quickly, swallowing hard to clear the panic that wanted to creep into his voice and the heartbeat that tried to jump into his throat.

"Some folks found his gunblade down by the Bailey a few days ago. No one's seen him since. That's when the attacks on the defence system started. We don't know if they're linked."

"So you're telling me Leon's out there, missing, without his weapon, and nobody thought to tell me?" He couldn't really blame them, he never checked his phone.

"We tried, but..." Aerith was guilt ridden, Cloud could see it on her face.

"Never mind, just tell me what you know."

The door opened again, breaking the tension with a moment of relief as they all turned. Cloud couldn't hide the surprise on his face when he saw Sora standing in the doorway. Stress made his face almost unrecognisable, lips downturned and eyes dulled with a singular focus.

"Cloud, you're back." Sora seemed relieved to see him and he charged forwards, throwing his arms around the taller man's waist. Cloud staggered, a little caught off guard, and returned the embrace with an awkward pat against the youngster's back. "What are you doing here?"

"Sora came as soon as he heard about the attacks." Yuffie chimed in. "We figured with Leon missing and you gone, we'd need a little more muscle about the place."

"Speak fer yer'self." Cid groused, folding his arms across his chest as he scowled at the young girl.

"Sora, do you know what's going on?" Cloud ignored them all, untangling himself from Sora's grip and held him out at arm's length.

Sora shook his head with a pinch of frustration turning his lips downwards. "No. I've been out asking around, but no one's seen anything. The attacks come at night, they're fast and efficient, and they don't seem random. It's like they know exactly where to hit it. Like it's being sabotaged."

"You think any of this has to do with Leon's disappearance?"

"It's gotta be, right?" Sora shrugged. One hand rubbed at his elbow "I've been looking, but it's like Leon just vanished."

 _Bullshit._ Cloud thought, he'd pulled a vanishing act too many times to accept this. "I'm going to look for him."

"Cloud we've tried," Aerith reasoned as she stood, "We looked everywhere while we could, now we have to stick together." She reached out a hand either to comfort or restrain, but it never came close. Cloud pulled away with a dark scowl.

"I'm _going_." He said tersely. Not one person in the restoration committee gave him a look of confidence as he spoke.

"I'll go with you."

Surprised, everyone turned to stare at Sora. The keyblade wielder had a different look about him. With a little smile in Cloud's direction he said, "Maybe Cloud can see something we missed? He knows Leon best. It won't hurt to try, and we'll be back before dark when all the crazy happens."

"Sora ..."

"We'll be fine, Aerith," the youngster smiled.

"I don't need your help," Cloud sighed, moving Sora out of his way with one hand. The little hero huffed as he nearly tripped over.

"Yes you do!" He darted in front of Cloud and blocked his path to the door, scowling. "You haven't been here lately so you don't know what you're up against, or what people know about Leon's disappearance. I do. I won't let you do this alone."

Underestimating Sora's stubbornness, Cloud was unable to leave for another few seconds as the boy stared him down. Just long enough for Tifa to get a word in.

"I'd feel better if someone was with you, Cloud." her voice was soft and fatigued. "We can't afford for you to go missing too."

"I don't need the escort." Cloud said.

Sora rolled his eyes, "It's you who's escorting me. Come on, Cloud. We're burning daylight here." By the time Cloud thought of a counter argument beyond 'no way', Sora was out the door.

Cid took out a cigarette "Spunky kid. Go get 'em, Cloud."

"And be back before dark." Aerith insisted at his elbow as she followed him out.

Sincerely hoping that Sora was too tired for idle chatter, Cloud followed him from the house. They had to find Leon, and - Cloud thought when Sora casually began to run his mouth - the restoration leader better have a damn good reason for disappearing.

* * *

Their search started where Leon was last seen, Cloud walked his patrol route with a lonely feeling. He was far too used to different company. Sora insisted on searching high and low, and Cloud silently agreed, pleased someone was as driven as he was to find Leon, and as they searched the town and castle it ultimately lead the pair past more of the ruined defences. The damage was targeted but the tools used to wreck the metallic parts looked odd, like claw marks.

 _A smart monster on the loose? That's all we need._ Cloud kicked a useless cog to one side, it was mangled on one edge, and the dread he'd felt since this morning increased. A monster smart enough to take out defences like this, could it have taken out the architect too?

"Any idea what could have done this?" Sora asked, already walking past the wreckage, too familiar with it to give it a second glance. "You've fought lots of creatures."

Cloud shook his head "None that act like this." _It's sabotage, just like Sora said._ "If it weren't for the claw marks, I'd say it was the work of a man."

"But, who would want to put their home in danger?" the youngster's brow was pinched.

Cloud shrugged, said nothing, and resolved to keep looking.

Unexpectedly, Sora's one sided conversation sparked an idea: "If I was in trouble I'd go for help or hide somewhere safe, Riku would try and fight it alone … if he was in trouble he'd escape until he got the upper hand, I wonder what Leon would do?"

It was a good question, and Cloud knew exactly what the answer was. Cloud's head turned to the Old Bailey before he had consciously thought of the answer. The stone building was tucked away behind the houses but its presence was overwhelming no matter where you were. _A bit like Leon,_ he snorted. Rationally, he knew that it had been searched already, however it's exactly the kind of place Leon would retreat to if needed.

 _Too simple_ , his brain reminded him, yet he marched through the town without distraction.

Leon would already be home if he was hiding there, people would have seen him, he thought. He followed his instincts regardless, pushed open the gate and looked inside.

Nothing.

Just bare, cut stone, the slight smell of damp that never left the air and a room covered in shadows from the oncoming sunset. No Leon.

Cloud sighed. _Worth a look_ , he thought, head lowering. Cloud would have left it at that but with his eyes cast downwards he saw a familiar scratch mark on the floor. Just like a claw.

"That thing was here."

"What thing?" Sora asked loudly, his voice bouncing off the stones.

A low, out of place, swish, like the wind suddenly came from inside the walled room. Only Cloud had heard it with his mako enhanced senses and his eyes soon spotted the patch of bubbling shadows; his blood ran cold.

"Sora, get back."

"What thing?" The youngest demanded, still oblivious to the living darkness that boiled faster in response to the Keyblader's voice. When something took shape, Sora spotted it.

"Holy cow!" He cried, and didn't resist when Cloud pushed him outside. A creature of darkness was coming and Cloud was not prepared to fight in an enclosed space and get cornered. They retreated to a wary distance and waited for the dark creature to reveal itself.

Moments later it lurched into the light.

The dark creature was monstrous. A hulking giant that resembled a lion and a man. Growing from it's head was a crown of horns, and fangs pierced through a thin lower lip. It was a man's height doubled, with dark wings, massive claws, and a tail with a deadly sharp tip.

It slowly turned its shaggy head to peer at the frozen pair of warriors and growled, stretching aggressively to full height, revealing a body mangled between a man's and an animal's. Curved spine, elongated arms, but a vaguely human gait of motion as it prowled out of the shadows. It's purplish black skin with veins of red almost hid the inverted heart symbol upon its chest, eyes a chilling, familiar yellow.

Cloud pulled his sword into hand. "A Heartless?"

Sora gasped, his keyblade held ready. "I've never seen one look like that before," his voice quieter but determined, this was Sora's territory as a keyblade wielder, and the lack of knowledge drove Cloud's unease ever higher. He was beginning to feel sick. And still his instincts - his heart? - were screaming/insisting that Leon was nearby.

He shook himself. This was no time to lose focus.

The Heartless, predictably fixated on Sora, snarled and began to pace. Left and right, left and right. Sizing them up and throwing them off. Beside him, Sora muttered darkly, "I hate it when they can think," before lashing out first.

The Heartless and the Keyblade exchanged a ringing blow, and Sora leapt backwards for better footing; Cloud a second behind to cleave the monster in two- but hell it was _fast,_ and a painful crack of the creature's tail sent him off course and back on the put a hand to his ribs, winded but unharmed.

The lashing tail had adjusted Cloud's course only a few feet in the blink of an eye, letting Cloud's head on charge do the rest, forcing his slash too wide.

Once he understood what had happened he full-heartedly agreed with Sora, he hated smart enemies.

"Cloud?" Sora cried.

"I'm fine." Cloud parried the creature's claws, retreating one step then another when it's tail lashed at him again.

It yelped when Sora hit it boldly on an ankle, recklessly in reach of that deadly tail. Cloud barely moved to help when Sora flipped backwards safely out of the monster's clutches. He grinned, "I got this!"

The Heartless hissed, turning on the youngster with deadly focus, kicking up a plume of dust in Cloud's face, making him slow to react.

Cloud rubbed his eyes quickly, he hated that tactic. Leon did it all the time, the bloody cheat. He opened them to see Sora, once again, ducking and weaving around the hulking monster, holding his own impressively.

He only tried to intervene again when those teeth caught hold of Sora's sleeve. He swung at the monster's head, and again he was pushed to one side. This time a clawed foot shoved him away.

"Damnit!" He cursed.

Sora ran to his side and stood before him, arm outstretched, "Let me handle this."

"Did it bite you?"

"No-" The creature charged while they were briefly distracted, moving fast and slashing effortlessly through the rocky canyon wall where their heads had been moment before.

Crouching from a new foothold, Sora shoved behind him, and Cloud used his buster as a shield against the falling rocks and heard the Heartless back away a step to avoid the stones. In the brief pause in battle, while the rocks rained down, Cloud's heart gave another painful thump and he glanced around, expecting Leon. _What's going on?_

The second he looked away, Sora darted out of his protective stance and scored another hit on the monster's leg. The Heartless roared in anger.

"Cloud! Find Leon, I got this," Sora cried, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Cloud was listening.

"Sora?"

Had he felt it too?

"Leon needs you. I got this," the youngster repeated, and proceeded to prove just how accomplished he was at taking Heartless down.

Cloud took a step back, then another. He convinced himself, just, that Sora would be fine and managed to tear his eyes away from the youth to scour the canyon, trying to locate where this uncomfortable, dreadful calling was coming from.

Hardly the emotional type, he couldn't help but briefly compare this feeling to longing.

Barely forty feet from Sora's challenging battle he heard a soft chuckle from above and his entire chest froze as he held his breath, scared of muffling the laughter by inhaling.

He looked up. A man was crouched on a narrow ledge that jutted out from the canyon wall and his eyes were on Cloud. They sent a confusing mix of fear and relief through his body.

"Leon!" Cloud gasped.

Leon smirked, shoulders shaking slightly. He stood, looking exactly the same as the last time Cloud had said goodbye, save for his missing Gunblade. His clothes were spotless, his hair wild and even his many belts were intact on his hips.

Before Cloud could ask for help, ask where he had been, or even had the time to be mad at him, Leon's shaking devolved into laughter; chilling, manic laughter that echoed through the canyon.

"Leon?" He asked again worriedly, stepping closer.

The man above him lept from his vantage point and gave Cloud only a split second to raise his sword to block a punch enhanced with deadly ice. The cold from the spell made the metal of the blade groan and Cloud's eyes grow wide.

"Guess again." The man hissed over the cracking ice. He jumped backwards, ice crystals glittering along his arm, and a wide, out of control smile painting his familiar face in a foreign light. Cloud held his sword uselessly at his side, mouth open and mind reeling.

Leon had just attacked him.

His eyes narrowed, "What's going on?" He growled.

The man shook his head with another laugh, "I'd hoped you'd return before the town was plunged into darkness, I wanted to see the look on your face." Cloud blocked a lightning fast attack of ice and sidestepped another. He brought his blade down as hard as he could into the floor and sent his attacker back several cautionary steps; Leon laughing like a maniac until he was gasping for breath.

"What do you mean? What happened to you?"

The man tilted his head, quiet for a moment as he contemplated Cloud. The uncomfortable scrutiny made him feel microscopic. Like he was being broken down systematically and targeted; Leon had _never_ looked at him that way before.

Then that disturbing smile reappeared: "Griever!"

It was purely Cloud's reflexes built from years of fighting Sephiroth that kept him alive. Sora's cry of warning came too late. He didn't even hear the creature approach. The claws of the Heartless hooked around his chest - Cloud's arm holding the sharp tips away from his flesh - and swung him into the canyon wall.

He hit the rock with enough force to bruise. Using his sword as a crutch he peered up at the man approaching, smirking smugly with the Heartless walking in his shadow.

He coughed "G-Griever?"

Leon laughed sadistically at his torment.

Briefly too stunned to defend himself, Cloud glanced between the two, unable to figure out what had just happened. Sora appeared, sliding to a halt before Cloud, guarding him against their threats with wavering courage on his face. "He controlled the Heartless!" He spluttered, hardly believing it.

Cloud got to his feet, "How's that possible?"

Sora anxiously bit his lip, staring at their opponents as they held their ground. Leon smirked cruelly as Sora tried to figure it out, "It shouldn't be. Not unless Leon gave into darkness."

"He wouldn't-" Cloud gasped. Eyes widening, he braced an arm against the stone wall behind him; the man who looked like Leon smirked, the Heartless walked in his shadow, and Cloud's dread plummeted into horror. "H-he wouldn't," he gasped again, this time the words more like a plea.

 _'Leon'_ tilted his head, snickering as Griever purred. "He wouldn't," he agreed. "At least, not by _choice_."

"What?" Sora yelled, the same truth dawning on him as it had with Cloud, "You're not Leon! Who are you?"

The man smirked, laughing at his own joke, "I'm Nobody." Cackling loud as ten men as his laughter echoed throughout the rocky canyon, and he added almost as an afterthought, "Call me … Xeon."

Cloud's legs might have given out from under him if the threat of imminent attack hadn't been present, his mind going in circles. This was Leon's _Nobody_ , this was _Leon's_ Nobody!

Leon fell ...

"No ..."

Xeon licked his lips, "Griever."

The Heartless pounced. Sora let out a weak spell of light and gave the hideous thing a well deserved whack across the face with his keyblade. "Your fight is with me you overgrown housecat!" He taunted, backing away from Cloud as fast as he dared, enticing the larger opponent to chase him.

Cloud couldn't take his eyes off the Nobody. It looked exactly like Leon, if it weren't for the complete flip in personality he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Xeon closed the distance with another ice punch, forcing Cloud to duck.

He punched the Nobody in the stomach and shoved him away.

Xeon rolled to his feet and let out that creepy, dark, laugh once again. "That's the face I was hoping to see!"

Cloud pulled his sword from the ground and tried to clear his head from the silent ringing that horrible realisation had started. He had to think, he had to keep ahead of those ice spells. Xeon gave him a taunting look just like Leon used to at the start of a spar and Cloud's heart nearly left the fight. How had this happened?

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Cloud blinked.

"Heh, don't be so surprised, Leon and I share more than you know, Cloud." He licked his lips lewdly, Cloud was disgusted at the gesture and moreso at the thought of every tender moment and private secret between himself and Leon, now in the hands of someone as twisted as him.

"The stronger the light the darker it is when it falls … I remember that too. Would you like me to tell you?" Xeon covered his mouth to hold in his laughter, shoulder's shaking for a moment.

Cloud tightened his grip on his sword but then Xeon began to speak and all tension for the fight left him. " _Cloud? Where are you?_ "

The buster blade's tip buried itself in the earth as its supporting arm fell slack.

" _I waited for you, Cloud,_ " he said in Leon's voice; the tone he reserved for their private moments alone, it was Leon unguarded. Xeon reached out, brow pinched with hurt as he raised his arms as if to embrace him, eyes adoring and hurt and distant-

Cloud's breath was knocked out of him. His heart lurched with the need to answer and apologise. His lover's pain on the battlefield had his instincts warring, the urge to protect almost entirely disarming his desire to fight him.

" _You weren't where you said you would be, I was worried about you. I looked for you. You promised ..._ "

Those soft, gentle accusations hurt worse than Griever's attack. He could see it too clearly: Leon pacing and gazing out into the distance while the hours ticked by, with that slight frown to cover how pale his concern was making him. He should have been in bed, he should have been warm and safe in their home, but of course he had chosen to stay up to welcome Cloud back. Of course he had …

It was hard to breathe, "Stop that!" Cloud rasped.

" _And I waited, I waited all alone._ " Leon - no, Xeon - took a step closer, his face now sad and pulling at Cloud's heartstrings. He reached out, again, arms lightly grazing Cloud's shoulders as he slowly brought Cloud into the start of an intimate embrace, " _Where were you, Cloud? Where were you when the Heartless came for me?_ "

"I-"

A moment's hesitation was all it took for Xeon to take advantage. Cloud yelled as the cold of another ice spell pierced his upper arm and he pulled his sword up, ignoring the pain and tried to block the Nobody's taunts.

" _Where is he?_ " Xeon threw ice again, " _Cloud's never been this late before_ ," he deflected a sloppy swing of the sword. Gasping in false fear " _What if he's in trouble?_ "

"SHUT UP!" Cloud screamed, creating several craters in quick succession as he slammed his buster down with all his strength.

Maniac laughter followed each missed swing. He had broken the string of taunts, and that false persona, but the laughter made him mad. How could he have fallen for that? Cloud saw red, his shock crumbling to rage as he attacked without mercy. He hit no where close to his agile target, but it felt damn good to hit something.

Xeon stopped a blow with ice along his arm, smirking at Cloud in a pause between attacks, "But don't you want to know what happened while he was waiting out there by himself? I'd sure like to know if it were _my fault_!"

Cloud pulled away, throwing a punch at Xeon's unprotected side. Xeon sneered, unharmed, "Don't you want to know how your _lover_ suffered? How you could have protected him if only you'd kept your promise?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know? I don't know?! I'm all that's left of him!" Xeon leapt on Cloud with a kick from both his legs that sent them both to the ground. Cloud gasping and Xeon laughing. "What was the last thing you said to him?" He tilted his head, laying on his back, arms wide on the ground, " _Only three weeks,_ Lee _, I'll be back with the new moon._ "

Roaring like a hurt animal, Cloud slammed his blade down on Xeon- the Nobody swiftly out of reach before the blow landed.

"Why so angry? Mad you forgot your precious Leon and left him to die?" Somehow, he got close, too close. He purred against Cloud's ear, "It wasn't quick, you know. He held on for _hours_." Cloud pictured the horrible scene against his will, egged on by Xeon's words. "Your Leon only succumbed when he finally realised no one was coming. Poor, unwanted little Squall ... How does it feel, Cloud, knowing you failed somebody else who needed you?"

Snarling, Cloud's elbow dug into the man's middle, followed by a punch to the face "Don't you fucking dare say that! What would you know?"

Xeon held a hand over his eye, looking like a kicked puppy. His face morphed subtly into Leon's again, eyes quiet, pleading with that soft tone of voice Leon used when they were alone behind closed doors; " _Why do you hurt me Cloud? Is it too much to ask that you're with me? Are you happy, now I've gone away?_ "

Cloud covered his ears briefly, _It's not him_ , "Stop doing that!"

"Heh," Xeon snorted, "I can see why he likes you, your reactions ... it's easy to believe you're wanted. You never understood how badly he hurt every time you left, how fearful that this time would be the time you don't come back for him. _Come home, Cloud. Please?_ "

The Firaga burst was a surprise, but the fire matched Cloud's rage and didn't dissuade him in the slightest from leaping over the flames and driving his sword through the Nobody's shadow, catching his arm as he dived left to avoid him.

"Fuck!"

Even their exclamation of pain was the same ...

Thankfully Cloud's hesitation was mirrored in the Nobody. For that instant of shock no one moved. He touched the bloody gash on his arm with fascination and alarm. His voice deviated from his shock, mimicking the man Cloud loved. " _I knew I meant nothing to you ..._ "

" _You_ don't." Cloud was already in motion; if he stopped he'd listen, if he listened he'd hesitate, and he couldn't afford to hesitate no matter how many hurtful/sorrowful words tore at his composure and gathered like stones in his aching heart. He was done hearing his own fears taunting him, he'd had enough of hearing his lover's pains that he blamed himself for every day. No more, this monstrosity had to die!

Xeon's eyes widened, and he threw ice up like a wall and hissed, "What is it about you and hurting the people you love?" in a desperate attempt to slow Cloud down.

Cloud knocked the ice wall down and chased him, "Leon is gone, you're proof of that _Xeon_. If you try to use Leon against me _'hurt'_ is the least of your worries." He summoned a Firaga of his own and cut off Xeon's route to his Heartless.

The Nobody growled, "Fuck you, Strife!"

Cloud batted away an impressive slew of icy projectiles until Xeon had to pause for breath. As he swung his blade and cut into the earth, Xeon jumped over him, touching his shoulders lightly, and sent a paralysing freeze all down his spine.

Groaning like his chilled bones, Cloud overpowered the desire to remain motionless and swung his arm out behind him to take out Xeon's legs in mid air. The Nobody landed badly, and was forced to roll away ungracefully as Cloud shook off the freeze effect.

"Bastard," he hissed, his elbows grinding together as he forced their cooperation.

Xeon laughed, "Never were a professional caster, were you? Leon never used his full potential against you because he didn't want the advantage. Such a pity. You drag everyone down to your level." He feigned left and stuck a weighty kick into Cloud's ribs.

Enraged beyond physical hurt, Cloud caught Xeon's leg and threw him like a doll.

Xeon kept trying, Cloud heard the words but refused to listen.

" _Cloud, please. You promised you'd never hurt me, I lo_ \- ah!" he yelped, more blood gushing from a gash on his thigh.

His spells began to land wide. He was panicking.

Cloud pressed his advantage. He forced Xeon back and back all the way to the wall, saw his opening and- it was over before either could comprehend.

Front to front, almost nose to nose, Cloud pulled back in honest surprise when something wet and warm splattered against his cheek. He woke from his battle craze and saw what he had done. Xeon was impaled through the middle, the buster through him and embedded deep into the canyon wall. The Nobody braced his arm on the blade with a look of shock and a mouthful of welling blood.

Cloud's eyes were drawn to Xeon's, the parody of his lover's face was pale and frightened. The Nobody gasped a few times and pulled a final, dirty trick. He reached up to cup Cloud's face with a gloved hand, smiling Leon's gentle smile. "You did it," he croaked, not sounding like Leon or Xeon, but like a dying man. He wheezed into Cloud's ear "You _killed_ me ..."

Releasing his hold on the weapon, Cloud staggered back, mouth dry.

He felt sick.

Xeon bowed over in pain where he was impaled and panted desperately with eyes narrowed, struggling to breathe. His hair fell over his pale face and, when he thought it was hidden, it lapsed deeper into agony and fear.

 _It's not him, it's not him,_ Cloud clung to the mantra desperately.

But, for a moment, it was like an old nightmare. A nightmare where Leon had died at his hand. It happened so fast, he struck without mercy. Leon shouldn't have been so easy to kill, Cloud would never- but the proof was before his eyes, dying in agony. It shouldn't have been so hard to watch, but it was. Cloud had killed him!

With the last of his strength the brunet heaved himself as upright as he could, already beginning to fade. Distantly, Sora's yell of triumph registered just outside the intimate nightmare Cloud had made for himself. The Nobody smiled a crooked smile before tugging Cloud closer by the fabric of his shirt.

Disorientated, Cloud stepped forwards easily into the Nobody's embrace. Xeon sighed, " _Cloud_..." his lips brushed against Cloud's briefly, and he was sucked away into nothingness before Cloud had the wits to push him away.

Shaky fingers touched his mouth and Cloud screwed his eyes up. _Damn him. Damn him!_ He had said goodbye with Leon's voice. Xeon had died in his facade as Leon. One final nightmarish taunt, one final deep, dark fear, masqueraded before his eyes. Cloud's heart squeezed itself tightly, the pull towards Leon now empty and cold. He was gone.

Cloud grit his teeth. _It wasn't him, it wasn't him …_

His eyes leaked tears anyway. Because it _wasn't_ him, but all that meant was that he was gone.

He wrapped his arms around his middle, head resting against the stone of the canyon and cheeks slowly getting wetter. Leon was gone. Darkness had taken him, and now he was gone forever.

 _How could this happen?_ Cloud lamented. How could he lose someone else to the Darkness? Why him? Leon was strong … so strong, and determined, and light … much lighter than Cloud could ever hope to be and yet it was Leon who was lost.

 _I've lost him … "Where were you, Cloud?" … Xeon's right, it's my fault … I didn't get there in time. I wasn't there for him!_

Painfully, he inhaled a ragged breath and choked on a sob. One hand covered his mouth, the other his eyes, he swiftly lost control of his breathing as wave upon wave of loss and guilt washed over him. _My fault, my fault, Leon! … Leon please …_

"Cloud?"

 _Why you? Why you, Lee? It's not fair, it should have been me … It should have been me!_

His chest hurt so much. Outside his focus his shirt began to creak with the telltale sound of overstretched threads, his trembling worsening and his collar seemed to choke him. The hand over his eyes rapidly lost temperature. In the darkness behind his eyelids he could imagine himself disappearing as Leon had, following him. _It should have been me ..._

"Cloud, don't." A warm weight knocked into him, a pair of wiry but strong arms around his middle. The impact jolted Cloud from his moment of dark grief and woke him up from the numbness in his heart. It ached again. He swallowed his next sob when a childish voice tried to sooth him.

"Cloud, please don't cry … it's over. Please, please _don't_..." Sora's palm applied pressure over his shoulder, the shirt flattening against a now flat shoulder blade. His shirt hung loose against the bone. Gripping him as if he would vanish, Sora cried: "You did it, now he'll come back."

Raising his head, glancing over his shoulder and blinking hard at the haze over his eyes, the blond croaked a soft query, "C-come back?"

Sora squeezed. " _Yeah_. When the Heartless and Nobody are destroyed," Cloud flinched "then the person can return ..."

"But?" Cloud prompted, the youth's hesitation too obvious to his ears.

Sora pressed his forehead against Cloud's back, sighing sympathetically, "Leon… it may take a while ..."

"How long?" Cloud rubbed his eyes, one after the other, desperation painting his voice.

"A few days? I don't know, it depends … but," unexpectedly strong arms forced Cloud to turn. The boy's eyes red but his young voice was firm, "I've seen people come back before. He _will_ come back."

* * *

Cloud had thought the worst part would be the first few days. Adjusting to life without Leon in it would always be hard, but it was the days and weeks afterwards that tortured him.

It pressed on him constantly: the empty space where Leon's shadow should have been. The lack of light under the office door late at night, the sofa with too much space, the work boots that gathered dust instead of tracking mud, it all reminded him that Leon wasn't there. The comforting presence beside him as Leon silently read at night. The single mug of coffee by the sink instead of two. There was too much sugar in the pot, too much food in the fridge for one, and Cloud wasn't hungry anymore.

A few days had turned into a week, and a week had turned into four. Sora had given him hope - hope that Leon would return - but Cloud was losing his hold over it as it quickly slipped away from him. He'd never felt so lonely.

Sora had gone off on his next adventure, the town slowly rebuilt, and he was just frozen. Waiting.

The committee had been to see him, of course. Had wanted news of the fight and details of Leon's Nobody. But after several attempts, and Cloud's silent frowning, they stopped coming. Held away by their own fears they were too terrified to voice. Cloud felt them too. _What if he never came back?_ _What if Sora was wrong?_

 _"You escaped the darkness, he will too,"_ Small comforts, flawed and wasted. He'd never fallen that far. Leon was never meant to fall in the first place; it was unthinkable. He didn't deserve that fate …

" _Why do you hurt me Cloud? Is it too much to ask that you be with me? Are you happy, now I've gone away?"_ Xeon's words tormented him when he closed his eyes.

 _No. No I'm not._ He never slept long. His guilt wouldn't let him.

It was purely this wavering hope and this guilt that prevented him from throwing himself into the darkness after him. It wouldn't help anyone, it was a coward's way out and his surviving friends would never forgive him for it.

Cloud sat in the darkness of their living room, refusing to turn on the light, and watched the shadows slip along the wall as the night crept by. Idly, he pulled at the loose threads of an old tee shirt, draped over his knee, and ran the soft material through his fingers, carefully caressing the fabric that still faintly smelled of Leon. He tried not to think of how he would have to carry on if he never came back, but those thoughts were the only ones that haunted him now.

He let out a shallow, shaky breath, nostrils flaring as his throat tightened, and tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. Tried to ignore the voice in the back of his head that told him to give in.

His hands gripped the shirt in a silent, stubborn ' _no'_ against the temptation. A response that was practiced and rehearsed but slowly loosing character. Because what was the point of fighting for a place in the light if there was nothing waiting there?

It took him longer than normal to register the click of the front door. He'd every intention of ignoring it - figuring it would be either Aerith or Tifa come to check on him again - but the sound of a familiar foot fall pulled him from his brooding. He'd recognise the sound of those boots anywhere.

The sound of Leon's name was almost on his lips, stuck in his throat as Cloud stood from the couch, turning towards the door just as a shadow fell across the threshold. His heart hammered in his chest, and then stopped all together as Leon walked into the room.

His shoulders were bowed and he looked worn, his face smudged with dirt, and his eyes were glazed with fatigue and a soft haze of confusion. But Cloud could _feel_ him there. It was him: whole and complete, and for a moment, Cloud felt like the earth might fall away from under his feet.

"Cloud?" Leon asked, clearly confused, his voice a little husky. But it was _his_ voice.

Cloud let the breath that had been Leon's name escape the confines of his throat in a rush of relief, the ache of holding it back making his throat tight with emotion.

"Yeah?" He heard himself croak as he stepped closer.

"What's going on?" Leon asked, eyes narrowing as more of his confusion cleared, soft bangs dancing backwards and forwards in front of his eyes as he shook his head a fraction.

"You're back!" Cloud gasped quietly, hands beginning to tremble. Leon glanced down at them, a frown creasing his brow.

"Is that my shirt?"

Cloud glanced down at the cloth in his hands and then let it drop without a word. He stepped forwards, dragging Leon fiercely into his arms as he buried his face into the side of his neck, positive that if he didn't, Leon might disappear again and leave him alone. Face hidden, he let slip a moment of grief, and willed Leon's presence to sooth it away. Leon was back, why was he still hurting so much?

"What's going on?" Leon asked softly, slowly wrapping his arms around Cloud, clearly confused by his lover's actions though willing to engage with the affection. "Whats happened?"

"Just… hold me?" Cloud's cheeks deeply coloured as he croaked the selfish request. But he didn't regret it much once Leon's arms gave him a comforting squeeze.

Too soon, Leon's grip shifted and Cloud was forced to duck his head when Leon tried to look at him. A gentle thumb brushed a wet, burning cheek, and Cloud felt himself start to crumble.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he stemmed the glistening sheen resting on the edges of his lashes and forced the painful beating of his heart to slow down. Swallowing thickly, he breathed out, once and slowly, and then looked up at Leon.

"You don't remember?" He asked, his voice not quite as steady as he wanted it to be, but he couldn't help that now.

"Remember?" Leon was clearly puzzled, an annoyed glint of frustration in his eye held at bay by the sight of his lover so affected by something. "What are you talking about? I… all I remember is fighting Heartless and then… then nothing. It's like a blank hole in my head." Leon's frown deepend. "I woke up in the middle of nowhere feeling like I'd just sparred with you on a bad day." He added with a slight up-turn of his lips.

But Cloud didn't take the bait. There was no way he could feel amused by what he had done. He shook his head, lowering his gaze to his feet.

"You… you fell." He spoke softly, frowning with remembrance.

"What?" He heard Leon say, all humour gone from his voice.

"You fell… when the Heartless attacked. You became a Nobody, Leon." The strain in Cloud's words couldn't be ignored and Leon's eyes widened. He was silent for a long time as the news sank in. Eventually he cleared his throat, his next words coming out in a husky whisper.

"What did I do?" Ever perceptive, he had made the connection between Cloud's fragile emotions and his fall, and knew there was more to it. Naturally, Cloud thought, he'd have questions, but he wasn't sure he could answer them. The memories were still raw.

"Your Nobody… Xeon, he set his Heartless on the town's defence system. Nearly crippled it. Sora and I… we both set off to find you. But well, Xeon found us first. Sora took down Griever and I fought…" Cloud stumbled over the last few words, a hand coming up to comb through his hair as he shifted from one foot to the other in discomfort.

"And you fought me." Leon finished for him.

"That wasn't you!" Cloud speared him with a pointed look. "There's no way that bastard could ever have been you." He was breathing a little heavily.

Leon's own gaze softened. "Did I- _he_ hurt you?" He asked, lifting a hand to cup Cloud's cheek.

Cloud shook his head, looking away towards the window, that soft gaze sitting too heavy on his shoulders. "No. But… it wasn't easy hearing him talk." Cloud said with a small wince. "He sounded just like you." It was no use, Cloud couldn't laugh that part off, no matter how much he wanted to. He felt those treacherous tears spring back to life behind his eyes, the sting a subtle reminder of those terrible words. "He _looked_ like you." He continued, lip trembling ever so slightly. He caught it between his teeth and shook his head again, still unable to look Leon in the eye.

"When I… when I killed him…" he had to stop, just saying those words was torture. "When he said goodbye, it was _your_ voice, Leon." His own voice was small and strained, a stray tear escaping to track its way down his pale cheek, and he chanced a look up at Leon. Those slate grey eyes were wide and lost. "It was _your_ face."

Leon had been all too aware of the contents of Cloud's nightmares. For years he'd laid beside him, soothing him through them as they'd tormented him. He couldn't imagine what it must had been like for Cloud to actually live through one of them.

Leon brought his other hand up and framed Cloud's face, stepping in a little closer as he ducked his head and tried to catch Cloud's gaze.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, voice catching in the back of his throat.

Cloud shook his head, turning his cheek into the palm of Leon's hand a little. "It's not your fault." He replied, reaching up to cover one of Leon's hands with his own, lacing their fingers together.

He gripped as hard as he dared. _Don't leave me_.

And Leon heard him loud and clear. He wordlessly removed the few stray tears, patiently caring for each individual one until Cloud's eyes ran dry, and pressed a kiss to his temple, lingering as Cloud leaned in to soaked up every millisecond of affection. It had always been their way; to say more when they were silent. _I'm sorry. I love you. I'll never put you through that again._ New promises to replace old ones, familiar comfort for old, realised fears.

Cloud accepted all of it. He leaned against Leon slightly, enjoying the heat and the nearness of his body as his lover wrapped him in arms securer than a vault, and the solid weight of him finally began to ease his wounded heart.

He nuzzled closer, lips pressed against a warm collarbone as Leon's strong, new heartbeat thumped against his palm. He ran his fingers through Leon's hair, rocked in place in mutal comfort. He was here, and Cloud was beginning to feel an inkling of peace. His eyes watered for a different reason as the aching loneliness in his chest trickled away. He thought he'd never feel anything but alone again.

Leon was back. He was here. He was safe in his arms where he belonged. Cloud smiled ever so slightly, exhaustion draining his sorrows away as efficiently as Leon's presence banished his nightmares. That sounded nice: Leon safe in his arms where he belonged. The unmoving arms around him told him that Leon firmly agreed, neither were prepared to let go first.

Above him, Leon shifted, pressing his head into Cloud's hair and whispering, "I'm sorry."

Cloud opened his mouth to protest, it wasn't Leon's fault, he should have been on time. No one could have known that the swarm was there. Those horrible creatures forced him to bow to Darkness that he never would have otherwise. But Leon caught his chin in a firm hold and cut off all of Cloud's unsaid assurances. Rough fingers lovingly caressed his cheek.

Leon gave a grateful smile, staring at Cloud with an expression that made Cloud's heart hurt. Leon's voice was choked with emotion too: "And thank you. For bringing me back."

Cloud's heart thumped painfully for a moment as he drank in the disbelieving, grateful, and awed look on Leon's face. He gently touched their foreheads together, "I was afraid you wouldn't," Cloud whispered softly. "Come back, I mean."

"Of course I came back," Leon replied, just as softly. "Just like _you_ always do."

Cloud frowned a little, feeling the old pull of guilt, reminded of how he had messed up and failed Leon in the first place, before Leon tugged lightly on his bangs and forced Cloud to look at him. He smiled softly, and tilted his head.

"Come on," he nodded towards the stairs. "Let's get some rest. You look like you could use it."

"Speak for yourself." Cloud replied sardonically, the faint reflection of a smile ghosting his own lips as he let Leon take his hand and lead him upstairs.


End file.
